Biting insects are unquestionably present in many geographical regions of the United States as well as in various parts of the world. Biting insects have a strong evolutional drive to search for human or animal hosts to bite and consume blood for their nutritional needs or to supply nutrition to their eggs. The evolutional drive of these insects to consume blood is so strong that these insects can find humans and animals under extraordinarily difficult circumstances such that they will traverse great distances, climb long grass and weeds, and crawl through dense underbrush.
Insects such as the mosquito and tick, for example, are well known to sustain extraordinarily difficult circumstances to bite and consume the blood of humans. There are many species of insects that derive their identification and name based on the host they most commonly feed on, for example, the bird tick and the deer tick. Other biting insects may include biting flies and biting midges. Fleas are another biting insect that are equally bothersome to humans and pets. It is very difficult to avoid bites from these types of insects, as humans and animals will invariably encounter them upon entering their natural habitat.
Many people and animals that have been exposed to the varied types of biting insects described above may develop a skin reaction at the site or location where they are bitten. Typically, the skin reaction occurs as a result of the insects' desire to pierce the skin with their mouth to consume the blood. The bite itself, like any other surficial wound, may irritate the skin initially and, at a much later time, may become painful and very uncomfortable to the host human or animal. A common evolutionary trait generally associated with many biting insects is the development and production of anti blood coagulating compounds transferred to the host at the site of the bite prior to consuming the host's blood.
The fluid transfer from biting insects to a host is problematic in two ways. First, many people are allergic to the fluids and/or to the anti blood coagulating compounds biting insects inject. So in addition to the pain and discomfort of the insect bite, the lingering effects of an allergic reaction remain until the host body can neutralize the foreign anti blood coagulating compounds. A second more sinister problem of the fluid transfer from biting insects to humans and/or animals is the transmission of diseases and microorganism that they may carry within them. These diseases are quite harmful and can even be fatal to humans and animals. The presence of diseases or harmful microorganisms within any type of insect specie may have natural origins or have been transferred to them from an infected host.
A harmful and sometimes fatal form of disease generally associated with and transmitted by ticks is Lyme Disease. The blacklegged tick is the species believed to be the primary carrier. Lyme Disease is more common in the Northern Hemisphere, such as the Upper Midwest and Northeastern part of the Unites States. Lyme Disease is said to be transmitted by ticks to humans and deer from mice. Humans infected with Lyme Disease can suffer serious health issues ranging from very mild flu-like symptoms to very severe neurological disorders. Moreover, it has been studied and documented that ticks are responsible for carrying and transmitting the Powassan virus, which if contracted, can cause severe brain infection with possible fatal consequences. Accordingly, individuals exploring the outdoors need to exercise great care and caution to avoid being bitten by ticks and other disease carrying insects.
For these reasons, enjoyment of the outdoors can be greatly impaired by the presence of biting insects. Even simple outdoor activities in residential urban neighborhoods are not immune from biting insects. As urban developments expand farther and farther into undeveloped natural areas, human and pet exposure to biting insects is significantly increased. Also true, many residential developments and homeowners purposely create and maintain natural areas or environments for their admirable aesthetic pleasure. As such, gardening, lawn mowing and playing in the yard are now activities that increase the risk of exposure to disease from biting insects. For the true outdoorsman that engages in activities of hiking, camping and hunting, he/she will invariably encounter biting insects. Common and well known techniques to prevent or minimize the risk of exposure to biting insects include avoiding their habitat, limiting outdoor activity to hours when biting insects are less active, covering exposed skin with garments, or using naturally derived or manufactured chemical insect repellants.
As a first technique to reduce exposure to biting insects, one may take the requisite steps or precautions to avoid the habitat of biting insects, generally at the cost of enjoying the great outdoors. Many regions of the United States and other parts of the world experience the traditional four seasons with significant temperature changes: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Since winters can be long and harsh for some, there is a strong tendency or desire to get full enjoyment of the warmer weather that is generally offered only in the spring, summer, and fall. The warmer weather of these seasons makes them particularly suitable for one's participation in a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities. Many of these outdoor activities, both for fun or necessity, unavoidably place humans in a habitat of biting insects. It is not practical to completely avoid these areas without in many ways reducing the quality of life and participation of engaging in outdoor activities. Even if one took the great lengths necessary to totally avoid the outdoors, they could still be exposed to biting insects from a friend or family member that enters into a habitat of biting insects and unknowingly carries into their home or residence one or more biting insects.
As a second alternative technique of reducing exposure to biting insects, one may limit his or her participation in outdoor activities during times when biting insects tend to be in a less active state, such as when the sun is at its highest point in the sky to several hours thereafter, generally from the time of 12:00 p.m. to the early afternoon of 3:00-4:00 p.m. Coincidentally, this is a period of time when the daily temperature is at its hottest, but also a period of time when the majority of the population in the United States as well as elsewhere is actively working at their place of employment. Unavoidably for those preoccupied with their employment, activities associated with leisure outdoor recreation, lawn or garden maintenance, outdoor social gatherings, etc. will tend to occur during a period of time when biting insects become more active, primarily after sunset through the morning hours before noon.
As a third alternative technique of reducing exposure to biting insects, one may cover his/her exposed skin with one or more layers of clothing. Over time, however, many biting insects have perfected their capabilities to bite through clothing and/or crawl under clothing to undesirably feed on human hosts. Layered clothing may only provide minimal protection from insects, particularly those having the innate capacity to bite through clothing. The clothing must generally comprise a sufficient thickness in order to fulfill prevention of bites from biting insects. Although a proper, strategic arrangement of clothing may be effective in preventing bites from biting insects, the added clothing can greatly impede one's mobility and unduly compromise one's comfort during warm and hot weather conditions. Furthermore, the perspiration, heavy breathing, and release of additional body heat, odors and scents generated and developed while wearing additional clothing may invariably attract more biting insects to oneself, a situation that arises as having the opposite effect. The biting insect's innate capacity to seek out hosts for survival and to further reproduction stems primarily from their adaptive behaviors developed over a lengthened period of time. While layered clothing may offer limited, but not real practical, protection against biting insects, it does little to prevent insects from crawling under clothing. The bottom structural opening within in a pant leg, for example, provides a key access point for biting insects to crawl up within the interior space of the pant leg and traverse about the lower extremities of one's body, such as the surficial portions of the leg or ankle. Since many outdoor activities include constant motion through the habitat of biting insects, the pant leg is constantly opening to varying degrees to afford biting insects the many so ever opportunities to crawl under the pant leg and access the lower leg.
As a fourth and final alternative technique of reducing exposure to biting insects, one may use and apply on oneself one or more forms of insect repellants that are commercially available to the consumer. In general, insect repellants are most effective in preventing insect bites when applied directly to the skin and clothing. Insect repellants in the form of sprays and lotions are preferentially formulated for direct application to skin or clothing. The majority of chemical insect repellants commercially offered in today's markets may emit objectionable odors while on one's clothing for the duration of protection and, as such, the clothing must be thoroughly and sometimes repeatedly laundered to adequately rid the offending odor therefrom. Because of the undesirable nature of and the consumer's distaste for the odor, the insect repellant industry has taken an effort to reformulate select compounds present within the insect repellant product to mask or, more desirably, to eliminate the offending odor.
From a health perspective, however, application of chemical insect repellants, particularly aerosol or pump spray versions, must be done in a diligent manner to avoid contact with eyes, mouth, and nose to avoid irritation. A common chemical insect repellant DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide), also cautions users about ingestion, and risks and potential side effects of exposure and use. While extremely rare, DEET has been reported to cause minor skin irritations and in cases of heavy use, temporary hallucinations, weakness, agitation, and even a contributing factor in death.
Many chemical insect repellants must be reapplied from time-to-time in order to remain effective, as their effectiveness diminishes appreciably with perspiration, rain, and time. Chemical insect repellants must be applied evenly and completely to be effective. Areas of skin and clothing inadvertently missed at the time of application will be vulnerable to insect bites. Also, depending on the activity, it may not always be practical to reapply insect repellant. Applying chemical insect repellants to clothing must also be done with caution as some chemical repellants may damage or discolor sensitive garments.
Due to the possible side effects associated with chemical insect repellants, many have come to use natural insect repellants to guard against biting insects. While many find these as acceptable substitutes for chemical insect repellants, many argue that natural insect repellants are less effective or perhaps lack the concentration of key active compounds that make them most effective in terms of offering consummate protection. While natural insect repellants may not have many of the side effects of chemical insect repellants, they do share the same drawbacks: objectionable odors, effectiveness based on coverage, and requirements for repeated applications.
Both chemical and natural insect repellants can be applied to a user as described above or emitted from an object near the user. For example, burning citronella candles is a common practice for mitigating the presence of biting insects such as mosquitos within a defined area, but generally being used exclusively in outdoor environments; and for that reason, the use of citronella candles becomes less practical and less effective for outdoor activities taking place within large settings or areas such as those commonly associated with hunting or hiking. The market does offer more portable and wearable forms of citronella-emitting devices for localized use and protection, but their effectiveness may come into question in protecting other parts of one's body, such as around the foot and ankle areas.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a wearable leg garment that is particularly suited to protect the lower extremities of one's body, such as about the legs and ankle, from biting insects, most notably where insects are more likely to access and traverse and feed on the human host to further and satisfy their nutritional needs and requirements.